A Queenstown To Glenorchy
Day Trip, Walking And
Shopping For Souvenirs
Dorothy - 9/2/01

After a beautiful drive Queenstown to Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu you will be ready for some exercise. I suggest that you follow the Glenorchy Walkway from the wharf around the lagoon and along the hillside and back to the lake edge. This is fairly level and offers great views of Mount Earnslaw and other mountains at the head of the lake.

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Mountains and reflections - view from the Glenorchy walkway Click here for a larger version

After your walk I suggest you relax at the Glen Roydon Restaurant for a coffee break or lunch. Since I last wrote about this place the dining room has been considerably extended, and the skilled Todd brothers have ensured that the charm of the room is preserved and the addition is not detectable. The restaurant now caters for large dinners and wedding receptions.

Shopping for New Zealand-made quality souvenirs
Off the large dining room is another surprise - a souvenir shop run by Julie Todd. Sometimes we hear complaints that some souvenir shops sell mass produced souvenirs often made outside New Zealand. Not so at this shop. Everything on sale is crafted in New Zealand and Julie has scoured the country to obtain an interesting variety of products from Invercargill in the south to Kerikeri in Northland.

From Kerikeri come moon potz to hold plants;
from the Coromandel sarongs with Maori designs, paua products, hand painted glasses and vases, and stylish hats;
from Tauranga shell mosaics;
from New Plymouth carvings with their story on the accompanying card;
from Wanaka handmade knives, bowls with a design that portrays the mountains around Lake Wanaka and a totally natural haircare range;
from Invercargill shadow boxes, possum fur bears and puppets, coasters and sun catchers;
from the Glenorchy area paintings by Stuart Brown and Mark Thomas, and miniature oil landscapes by Annette Thompson.

Julie with a possum fur bear and puppet

Silver and paua pendants in a koru design photographed on a kete

The wide range of goods also includes hats, socks, T shirts, scarves, shawls, possum and wool jerseys, books on the area and fiction for adults and children, pottery, wooden bowls, stoneware figurines and planters, kiwi and tuatara shadow boxes, jewellery, bonecarvings, candles, kete (Maori baskets), fishing gear, and cards of New Zealand, either with photographs or with surreal designs. If you are concerned about caring for your skin you can buy skin cream, bug balm and wind balm - all made from only natural ingredients.

You can email Julie at
glenroydon@xtra.co.nz
or phone/fax (03) 442 9968

Walk at Bob's Cove
After a leisurely browse around Glenorchy, on the drive back we walked the track at Bob's Cove. It starts from the Glenorchy road fourteen kilometres (9 miles) from Queenstown. It is an interesting walk with interpretation panels noting points of interest about the history or the vegetation or birdlife. The track is fairly level unless you choose to climb the small hill at Picnic Point.

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The hill at Picnic Point

A shortish steep climb up the track to the top gives some distant views up and down the lake. You can choose how far you walk as the track continues some distance along the shore. If you walk to the furthest point the walk will take one and a half hours return. We were too early to see the rata in flower but clematis was in bloom at many points along the track.

Clematis in bloom

The track passes through some mature red beech, some of the few left in the Wakatipu area.

We found this blend of activities gave us a very satisfying day.

For more about Glenorchy go to:
Glenorchy Races

Published with permission from NZine